The February 2008 issue of Magicol (my second favorite magic magazine) is at hand and proves to be another wonderful effort.

The feature article, by Lindsay Smith, is titled Collecting the Con, or A Collector and His Money Are Soon Parted. This is a twelve page overview on collecting books and ephemera on con games, frauds, swindles and cheating. The piece is geared for those new to the genre and, in fact, shows how that genre can be categorized an even subcategorized. Examples of items within those classifications are given as well as illustrated.

Clay Shevlin shares Part II of his Visit to Old Bailey (Part I of which can be found here ). Unless Clay subscribes to Genii soon, the only way you can continue with this fascinating read is to join the Magic Collectors Association! (A bargain at just $25 a year. Email magic[dot]collectors[at]sbcglobal[dot]net for information.)

There are three book reviews, including one penned by the aforementioned Mr. Shevlin on Burton Sperbers A Checklist of Conjuring Catalogs which you may have seen advertised lately. If you are even considering purchasing the book, make sure you read this well written and balanced review first.

Editor David Meyer includes his usual dose of Notes & Comments which are always of interest and often steers readers toward something not found in the mainstream.

Information on the upcoming Collectors Weekend (in honor of Harry The Hat Anderson) is included in this issue as well.

Magicol is a quarterly that is nicely produced (this editions back cover is a full color reproduction of a letter from Theodore Deland whose letterhead was fabulous). Use the email address noted above and join! You wont regret it!

Clay is just not a magazine kind of guy. He receives only two magazines (counting all the mainstream and other trade publications that he might subscribe to): Magicol and The Magic Circular. Both are the organs of organizations he belongs to.

His reasons for this are his and, since Ive already said more than I probably should have, Im not going to go into them since its not my place. All I will say is that while I might disagree with him (Im not Clay), I certainly understand his rationale.

Originally posted by Bill Mullins: If Dustin were really a Dark Fascist Overlord, he'd figure out how to allow Clay to continue to post his Librarium Magicum articles. One suspects that Dustin is only a Neutral-Grey Fascist Underlord.